Nelson McCausland confirms all-you-can-drink ban

The Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has confirmed he is banning fixed price promotions of alcohol.

Deals such as those offering "all you can drink for £20" will be targeted.

The minister told the Assembly that 252 people died in Northern Ireland last year because of alcohol misuse, and the Assembly needed to take action.

Mr McCausland told MLAs he had considered taking action to stop bulk purchasing of alcohol, but had decided not to ban the practice at this stage.

Pubs of Ulster chief executive, Colin Neill welcomed the move.

"The forthcoming legislation will strengthen our efforts to combat irresponsible retailing of alcohol, though we believe there is even further scope for additional legislation to curb irresponsible discounting of multiple purchases in supermarkets," he said.

Duncan McCausland, chair of the Independent Complaints Panel for the Joint Industry Code for the Responsible Promotion & Retail of Alcohol in Northern Ireland also welcomed the announcement of the legislation.